Stanford gets A-plus for win at UCLA

Comment: Stellar performance by the defense, which held high-powered UCLA to two touchdowns and just 334 total yards. Stanford also recorded seven sacks. ... The game turned during a 13-second span midway through the third quarter, when touchdowns by Stepfan Taylor (1-yard run) and Usua Amanam (11-yard fumble recovery) pushed the lead to 35-10. ... Taylor needs 36 yards to break the school's career rushing record (Darrin Nelson, 4,169 yards) ... Stanford scored touchdowns on all three trips inside the red zone. ... The Cardinal is No. 8 in the latest BCS standings.

Next up: vs. UCLA (Friday)

The matchup: It's as simple as checking the film from Saturday's game -- that should give the teams a good idea what they're up against. ... Both figure to tweak their game plans but won't (and cannot, at this stage) make major changes. ... The Bruins must protect quarterback Brett Hundley and limit Stanford's big plays in the running game; the Cardinal must improve its third-down efficiency and ball security: It fumbled four times, losing possession once.